Thirteen crew members were rescued after two fishing boats ran aground in rough seas off the coast of Jeju Island, two of whom later passed away.

According to the Seogwipo Coast Guard, it received a distress call at around 9:24 a.m. on Saturday, reporting that two fishing vessels had struck a reef near the southern resort island of Jeju. 

By 1:40 p.m., 13 crew members had been rescued. One of them was reportedly in cardiac arrest and was transported to a hospital in Jeju City while receiving CPR but was later pronounced dead.

Another, a foreign crew member, was found in cardiac arrest near the shore, but was also later pronounced dead. 

Authorities are continuing search efforts to locate the remaining crew members. 

Rescue efforts have been hampered by large waves and strong winds, as the area remains under a high seas warning. 

Authorities are considering the possibility that the two missing crew members may still be inside the vessels and are continuing search operations.

Similar accidents have occurred in the area, including an incident in January of last year when a 31-ton fishing vessel ran aground near the same island.